2025 Cadillac CT5 Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Cadillac introduced the CT5 in 2020. It replaced the long-running CTS in the automaker’s lineup and boasted several appealing traits. Sharing its underlying platform with the smaller CT4 and the Chevrolet Camaro, the CT5 was appealing to look at, comfortable to sit in, and rewarding to drive. However, it lacked the sophistication of its rivals, and the trunk was too small.

Half a decade later, those positive and negative qualities remain. However, during the ensuing years, the Cadillac CT5 has gained power, performance, and standard-setting technology. The refreshed 2025 CT5 lineup no longer offers a Luxury trim level, but it continues in Premium Luxury, Sport, CT5-V, and CT5-V Blackwing variants, ranging in price from $56,833 to $123,848, including the destination charge of $2,400 and other fees.

Our test car had Premium Luxury trim and a generous helping of options, including extra-cost paint, 20-inch wheels, a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 engine, and all-wheel drive (AWD). In addition, the test car had the Technology and Platinum option packages, inflating the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) to $77,988, including destination.

For the 2025 model year, the CT5 presents a new face to the world. It’s not dramatically different, just enough that you might look at Cadillac’s sedan and know something changed, but you can’t quite identify what. It’s the headlights. They’re stacked vertically instead of horizontally, and the running light bars framing each end of the restyled front fascia are larger and bolder.

You can’t miss the new 33-inch display that dominates the 2025 CT5’s interior. In addition, the strip of climate control icons beneath it adopts a more upscale look, but Cadillac wisely retains the switchgear, which offers access to features and functions without the need to fumble around with the touchscreen.

Most of the other physical controls employ simple white markings on a matte black background, with the exception of a few hard-to-decipher metallic buttons on the steering wheel. When you must interact with the infotainment system, you can use the touchscreen, steering wheel controls, centre console controls, or voice recognition system.

Our test vehicle had carbon fibre interior trim and semi-aniline leather upholstery in a rich Sedona Sauvage colour, giving the Cadillac’s cabin a big boost in luxury. When you notice the inexpensive plastic on the lower parts of the door panels and door sills, and when you can hear and feel the powertrain more than you prefer, just remember how much an equivalently optioned Audi, BMW, or Mercedes would cost.

Cadillac equips the CT5 Premium Luxury and CT5 Sport with a standard turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, 10-speed automatic transmission, and rear-wheel drive (RWD). The turbo-four is not particularly powerful, offering just 237 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, so you might decide the optional (and expensive) twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 is worth it.

Our test car had the V6, which produces a healthy 335 hp and 405 lb-ft of torque. It also uses a 10-speed automatic, and, like the base engine, it powers the rear wheels by default. AWD is an option with both engines, but it isn’t cheap. The V6 and AWD upgrades added more than $6,000 to the test vehicle. Ouch.

There’s a hit to fuel economy, too. Natural Resources Canada says the turbo-four gets 9.0 litres per 100 kilometres combined with RWD and 9.6 with AWD, while the twin-turbo six returns 10.6 L/100 km combined with RWD and 11.2 with AWD. During our evaluation, the latter averaged 12.6 L/100 km, beating the official estimate for a CT5 AWD by nearly a litre and a half. However, the route included more highway driving than usual.

On the highway, the CT5 Premium Luxury is louder inside than expected for the midsize luxury sedan segment. Otherwise, it proves effortless to drive, easily getting up to speed on highway entrance ramps and passing slower vehicles. The Super Cruise hands-free driving system is excellent, too (more on that below).

In town, the CT5’s twin-turbo V6 is never short on power, so you can slice and dice through traffic with ease. A high-definition surround-view camera system makes parking a snap, and you can also rely on a semi-automated parking assist system. The optional Technology Package adds a camera-based rearview mirror for an improved view to the back, too.

Take a Cadillac CT5 for a rousing run on a writhing road, and its fundamentally good bones shine brightly. This car’s platform was originally engineered to make Caddies (and the Chevy Camaro) run with the best from Germany, and while the European rivals have evolved, the CT5’s architecture and assorted hardware ensure a lively drive.

However, the Premium Luxury is not the tautest and most athletic version of the CT5. It can feel too soft at times, with more than a hint of classic Cadillac float in the ride. The steering isn’t as crisp as you might like, either, though it is precise. Nevertheless, a CT5 Premium Luxury is more rewarding to drive than you might expect. And if you want a more thrilling CT5, the V-Series and Blackwing are also available.

As a road-tripper, a loaded CT5 Premium Luxury is reasonably comfortable. It’s a little louder on the road than is preferable, and the front seats are flat and featureless. However, with heating, ventilation, and massage for the driver and front passenger, you’ll forget all about the lack of side bolsters. The optional semi-aniline leather smells great, too.

Rear-seat passengers enter and exit through a wide door opening, but taller people must duck under the fast roofline. Headroom is also in short supply, but the CT5’s back seat offers good legroom and thigh support. As with German vehicles, occupants sit inboard, making it almost impossible to squeeze in a fifth person.

Interior storage space is adequate. Cadillac provides just enough room for the smaller items you need to stash, plus four cupholders. Aside from the angled smartphone holder near the front centre armrest, none of these areas are innovative. A wireless smartphone charger is conveniently located and easily accessible.

Cargo space is tight at 337 litres, and the uneven trunk floor makes it impossible to load two full-size suitcases side by side and lying flat. (They will have an angled position). However, Cadillac encloses the trunk hinges, making it easy to stuff every nook and cranny with things, unconcerned that you’ll crush them when slamming the lid shut.

The big story for the 2025 Cadillac CT5 is its new 33-inch panoramic display, which houses three screens. To the far left, there is a trip computer panel. In front of the driver, digital instrumentation presents data and information in three configurable sections. On the right is a wide infotainment touchscreen equipped with Google Built-in technology.

With Google Built-in, the infotainment system features Google Assistant natural voice recognition, Google Maps navigation, and access to apps via Google Play. Plus, you get wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, SiriusXM 360L satellite radio, and access to connected services, including a Wi-Fi hotspot.

The CT5's new tech is a delight, from the user interface and ease of pairing an iPhone to the effective Google Assistant and new 15-speaker premium audio system. You can also interact with the system using your favourite methodology, whether that’s the traditional physical controls on the centre console, the voice recognition system, or the touchscreen.

In addition to this new 33-inch digital display, the 2025 CT5 offers an available head-up display, the above-mentioned optional digital rearview mirror, and standard Teen Driver technology. Parents can program Teen Driver to monitor vehicle use while the car is away from home and receive a report card detailing how their child drove it.

Cadillac equips every CT5 with a comprehensive set of driving assistance systems, including not only the features you expect in a modern luxury vehicle, but unusual features that are often optional in other models such as a surround-view camera system. The active blind-spot monitoring system can also steer to discourage unsafe lane changes. Semi-automated parking assist is optional on Premium Luxury and standard on Sport in Canada.

The star of the safety-tech show is Super Cruise. With an active subscription to the service, Super Cruise provides hands-free driving capability on an extensive network of approved roads across North America. In use, Super Cruise allows a driver to let go of the steering wheel, turning full control of the steering, braking, and accelerator to the technology. However, a driver monitoring system keeps watch, and if the driver isn’t paying attention, Super Cruise will disengage.

We used Super Cruise extensively on a road trip, and the technology is undeniably impressive and easy to trust. It works better away from cities, where its automatic lane-change function is more effective. However, when using Super Cruise in an urban area, it seemed more capable and less error-prone than earlier versions.

Aside from its safety features, the 2025 Cadillac CT5 performed well in crash tests. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the CT5 top five-star ratings in every individual evaluation, including for rollover resistance. That’s a rare achievement.

Cadillac undercuts most of its midsize rivals on price but does so with a mediocre standard engine. Nevertheless, our loaded CT5 Premium Luxury test car delivered tremendous value even with its pricey powertrain upgrade. At the BMW or Mercedes-Benz dealership, an equivalent cash outlay gives you a basic 5 Series, A6, or E-Class.

However, if you’re willing to move one size down, an Audi A4 (soon to be an Audi A5), BMW 3 Series, or Mercedes C-Class provides more refinement and just as much equipment for about the same price. At the Lexus store, the ES and IS bookend the Cadillac with appealing alternatives legendary for their reliability.

So, where does that leave the 2025 Cadillac CT5? The company is building the last traditional American luxury cars available, and that’s appealing to plenty of people. The CT5 is a good car, too, so you need not make excuses for choosing a Cadillac like people did in the 1980s (shudder).

Also, the in-car tech is outstanding, easier to use, and more impressive than most of the alternatives listed above. Unfortunately, and often par for the course for Cadillac, the CT5 needs more attention to detail to lead rather than follow. Given the buying public’s undeniable preference for SUVs, further investment is unlikely to happen for this Cadillac sedan.

Note: Images show a US model.